Refrigerating apparatus



Sept. 7, 1943.

nmmmnnmme APPARATUS E. J. DILLMAN 2,328,874

Filed May 14, 1942 INVENTOR W K M o ATTORNEY tric motor inthe usualmanner.

has outlets I, 8 connected respectively by conconcentric therewithPatented Sept. 7, 1943 Y UNITE,D STATES- PATENT orifice Earnest J-Dillman, Detroit, Mich, assignor to Detroit Lubricator Company,Detroit, Micln, a

V corporation of Michigan k Application May 14, 1942, Serial No. 442,901

3 cl ims.

This invention relates to new and useful improvements in refrigeratingapparatus and more particularly to a multiple outlet expansion valve forsupplying refrigerant to a plurality of evaporators.

An object of the invention is to provide a valve which is of simpleconstruction and which will be eflicient in operation.

Another object is to provide a valve which will supply refrigerant inequal quantities to each of the evaporators.

Another object is to provide a valve having a novel construction ofinternal equalizer for controlling the operation of the valve.

The invention consists in the improved con struction and combination ofparts to be more fully described hereinafter and" the novelty of whichwill be particularly pointed. out and distinctly claimed.

, In the accompanying drawinglto be taken as a part of thisspecification, there is fully and Referring to the drawing by charactersof reference, I designates generally an'expansion valve which is shownas of the thermostatic type having a temperature responsive bulb element2. The valve I has an inlet 3 connected by a refrigerant liquid line 4to the outlet of a condenser 5 which is supplied with condensed re-efrigerant'from a compressor 6 driven by anelec- The valve- I duits 9, Hito the inlets of separate, coil evaporator-s ll, l2. The outlets of theevaporators are connected to a common return or suction line l3as at M,the suction line leading back to the inlet of'the compressor 6. Theoperation of the compressor is controlled in the usual manner by apressure responsive switch i5 connected intothe suction line l3 to startoperation of the compressor motor upon the occurrence of predeterminedhigh suction or return line temperature or pressure and to stopoperation of the,

system when the suction line pressure is decreased to a pressurecorresponding to the d sired low evaporator temperature.

The body It of the valve I has a pressure reby a "pressure responsivemetal diaphragm l9 which also serves as the reponsive member of thetemperature responsive element 2. The diaphragm I9 is clamped and sealedat it periphery between supporting members 20, 2|, the membercooperating with the diaphragm 18 to provide the expansion chamber ofthe thermostatic power element. The expansion chamber and its .bulb 2and connecting tube 22 are pref:

erably charged with an expansible contractible temperature responsiveliquid such, for example, as Freon. The supporting member 2| is providedwith one or more apertures 23 so that the spaces above 'and below themember 2| are at equal pressures and together comprise the pressureresponsive chamber. Within the valve chamber l8 7 there is a valvemember 24 cooperable with a valve seat member 25 secured in the outletend of the valve inlet passage 25 which has a portion of its length asshown extending concentric I with the chamber IS. The inlet passage 26has clearly illustrated a preferred embodiment of the invention in whichdrawing:

a strainer chamber 21 -interposed between the valve inlet 3 and thevalve seat member 25. In

urrounding relation to and positioned radially of the concentric portionof the inlet passage 26 there are a plurality of guideways 28 whichextend through the valve body and open at their "opposite ends into thechamber I1 and the valve chamber l8. Reciprocal in each of the guideways28 there is a thrust member 29, which members are in abutting relationat their upper ends with the diaphragm l9 .and which seat at their lower'ends on the support her 24. A thrust pad 3| i preferably insertedbetween the diaphragm I9 and the ends of the thrust rods 29. Extendingin alignment with each other and transversely to the guideways 28 thereare outlet passageways 32, 33 'whichlead from the valve chamber l8 tothe outlets 1,8 respectively. Each 'of the outlet passageways. 32, 33 isprovided with a calibrated port or'restriction 34 which regulates thedistribution of the refrigerant from the chamber l8 to the outletpassageways and the evaporators ll, l2. Leading from the chamber I!through the bodyiB there are parallel equalizer passages or conduitssponsive chamber lfl with an open side and has 35; 36 which open attheir lower ends into the passageways 32, 33 respectively on the outletsides of the p0rts3l. It may be noted that the chamber 31 is of annularform so that the pas- T sageways 35. 36 are in communication with eachother at their pressure chamber ends.

The operation of this system and valve is as follows: When the controlswitch 1 5 responds to increased refrigerant pressure, it will startoper- 30 of the valve mem ation of the compressor 6 and withdraw vapor-,ized refrigerant from the evaporators II, It. When the pressure in theevaporator inlet lines 9, It decreases, then the diaphragm l9 will movedownward and open the valve member 24. Re-

28 provide a loose fit for their thrust members 29 in order that theoperation of the valve member may be sensitively controlled by thediaphragm l9, some refrigerant will pass through the guideways into thepressure chamber ll. Accordingly. this refrigerant which by-passes thecalibrated ports 34 must be equally distributed to the evaporators ll,l2 in order that equal work may be done by each of them. Therefore, theequalizer conduits 35, 36 are provided for each of the outletpassageways 32, 33 respectively in order to equally distribute theby-passing refrigerant. When the back pressure in the evaporatois ll, I2increases, the pressure transmitted to the chamber I! through theequalizer conduits 35, 36 will move the diaphragm l9 upward, therebypermitting valve member 24 to move toward closed position. The conduits35, 36 therefore also provide for an equalization of back pressureacting upon the diaphragm l9. The bulb element 2 of the thermostaticpower element cooperates with the valve member 24 in the manner wellunderstood by those skilled-in the art and throttles the admission ofrefrigerant to the evaporaters ll, I2 in accordance with the super heatheating of the valve as indicated by the tempera ture of the suctionline at the bulb 2.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed and is desired tobe secured by Letters Patent of the UnitedStates is:

1. An expansion valve for supplyin refrigerant to a plurality ofevaporators, comprising a valve body having an inlet and a. plurality ofoutlets and containing a valve chamber, said body having a passagewayleading from said inlet. to said chamber. a valve member controllingadmission of refrigerant from said passageway to said chamber. said boivhaving a plurality of distributor outlet passageways opening separatelyfrom said chamber and leading one to each of said outlets, each of saidoutlet passageways having a calibrated port closely adjacent saidchamber, said body. having a pressure chamber, a

. into said valve chamber, said body having a plurality'of guidewayssurrounding said portion and pressure responsive member closing saidpressure chamber and operable to move said valve member toward openposition, and a plurality of equalizer conduits leading from andcommunicating with each other through said pressure chamber, saidconduits being connected one into 'each of said outlet passageways onthe outlet side of .said ports.

2. An expansion valve for upplying refrigerantto a. plurality ofevaporators};comprising a valve body having an inlet and a plurality ofoutlets and containing a valve chamber, said body having a passagewayleading from said inlet to said chamber, a valve member controllingadmission of refrigerant from said passageway to said chamber, said bodyhaving outlet passageways leading from said chamber to said outlets,each of said outlet passageways having a' calibrated port adjacent saidchamber, said body having a pressure chamber and a guideway leading fromsaid pressure chamber to said valve chamber, a pressure responsivemember closing said pressure chamber, a thrust member extending throughsaid guideway between said responsivemember and said valve member andoperable to move'said valve member toward open position, and apluralityoi equalizer conduits extending lengthwise of said guldeway andleading'from saidpressure chamber, said conduits being con nected oneinto each of said outlet-passageways on the outlet side of said ports.

3. An expansion valve for supplying refrigerant to a plurality ofevaporators, comprising a valve body having a pressure chamber with anopen side and a valve chamber concentric there with, saidbody having aninlet passage with a portion of its length concentric with and openingopening at their opposite ends into said chambers, ,a pressureresponsive diaphragm closing said open side, a valve member reciprocalin said valve chamber and cooperable with said inlet passage to controladmission of refrigerant to said valve chamber, a thrust rod in each ofsaid guideways and interconnecting said diaphragm and said valve member,said body having a plurality of outlet passages leading from said valvechamber and for connection to separate evaporators, said body havingequalizer passages extending one from each of said outlet passages andopening into said pressure chamber, and means restricting each of saidoutlet passages between said valve chamber and its said equalizerpassage.

, EARNEST J. DILLIVIAN.

